1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to automatic clothes drying machines, and more particularly to a combination idler assembly and power disconnect system for automatically terminating operation of a clothes dryer in response to breakage of the dryer drum drive belt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Power disconnect systems which sense breakage of a drive belt in an automatic clothes dryer are known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,719, owned by the assignee of the present application, provides a broken belt power disconnect system for dryers in which a power lead to the drive motor is attached to the idler arm such that when the idler arm moves in response to a broken drive belt, the power lead is separated at a connector thereby terminating power to the motor.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,720, also owned by the assignee of the present application, a switch is positioned such that the switch actuator is contacted by the idler arm when the arm moves in response to breakage of the drive belt. Depression of the switch actuator opens the switch thereby disconnecting power to the electric motor. The drive belt is threaded through a space between the idler pulley and the idler yoke.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,049 discloses an idler for a dryer motor belt assembly which is mounted on the motor mounting bracket and U.S. Pat. No. 706,009 discloses a belt idler mounted from the end bell of the motor.